Monday, November 06, 2006

So much stuff, so little to show

In the past few weeks, my visits to other blogs have been taunting me with all sorts of lovely projects. Maybe it's just me but somehow it seems that with the beginning of fall, you guys are churning out more socks, sweaters and shawls than in the months before. While it is always inspiring, it was also giving me a little anxiety. Usually I'm a one-project-at-a-time kind of girl and stuff gets completed at a moderate pace. Lately though I've been gripped by startitis and while it's been fun to knit a little here and sew a little there, nothing gets finished, everything just drags on in various states of completion. I'm missing a sense of accomplishement and I miss putting something on my body that doesn't have ends hanging out and pins poking me. As much as I wanted to indulge in an orgy of projects, I've got to stop. No more gazillion projects, just one or two please. Oh and in case you're wondering just how many unfinished knits I have, I won't tell you, because you'll just laugh at me. That's why I'm only going to tell you about two! Sewing excluded.Thanks to Vanessa, who I got to meet two weeks ago for the first time and already feels like an old friend, I picked up Buttercup again. We're having a short spell of really beautiful days here, and if I finish it this week I may actually get to wear it once before it gets rainy and cold. The body is blocked and seamed and it fits perfectly. Thank god, for awhile I was afraid this little shrug would end up in the hate pile. I finished a sleeve over the weekend which is blocking this very moment, and tonight I'll baste it in to check its fit. Just one sleeve and the tie left, it should be done next weekend, hooray! My latest project is Eunny’s Argyle vest. I’ve been wanting to knit this for a long time, but I’ve never found the right yarn (pure dk wool in colors I like) until two weeks ago, when I spied some Blue Sky Alpaca Melange at my lys. It feels even softer than their regular dk and comes in few but lovely heathered colors. I chose an olive shade as my main color and a slightly lighter pine needle green for contrast, the difference between the colors is subtle, which is what I was hoping for. I can’t wait to wear it with some tweed pants and boots and indulge my Scottish Highlands fantasies. I’m not sure yet if I’ll actually do the steeking bits. I’ve been reading the knitalong blog over and over and it seems that a lot of people have fitting issues. My plan is to make the v-neck a little less plungy and to eliminate some of the fabric around the shoulders and armholes, not too difficult, right? I got some good hints on how to fair-isle from Mr. Brooklyntweed himself. Weekend before last, Jared was in town for a few hours and thegirls and I got to hang out with him. Breakfast at San Francisco’s most coveted bakery, admiring each others projects (man, the finishing on the Jarrett, so perfect!), shadecards (oh, the shadecards!), learning a few tricks, knitting a little, taking pictures, rounding it off with a visit to Imagiknit, which as always is just sensory overload. So much fun! I wish I could hang out with my knitting peeps every weekend.Christmas is in seven weeks. Since my family is far away we don't do gifts, bf is the only one who gets something knitted. Socks, of course. Friends and bf's family have gotten handmade photoalbums, cards, and jewelry in the past, so this year they get something sewn. I've decide that Denyse Schmidt's ovenmitt is a fairly quick and easy project (maybe together with an apron if I like you lots), great for using up spare fabric. I may have to undo the red mitt again, in my eagerness I forgot to add another layer of batting (I'm using warm&white 100% cotton and it's not as thick as polyester stuff). It's a fun project though, to be completed when I get more of the filmy silver stuff that goes in between to prevent heat transfer. For all you guys wondering what Kureyon colors I used for the Rainbow scarf: Two skeins of #95 and one skein of #148. The latter had a lot more yardage than the former.

15 comments:

Very cool! You got to meet mr. brooklyntweed! Sounds like fun. Hats off to you - I wish I had the discipline to stick to one project at a time and finish something for a change. ;)Can't wait to see photos of Buttercup and the vest.By the way, I like the fabrics you're using for the mitts.

yeah i was surprised how warm it has been for the last couple of days. i'm still not done with the tie on. Been busy knitting that boring cable sweater. anyways, i should pick it up again this coming weekend and will probably finish it same time as you. Those oven mitts are so cute!

I am very curious to see how the Argyle Vest turns out and the changes you make to it. I think you are very smart to figure out how to eliminate the extra material in the shoulders. I have wanted to re-knit mine but won't until I am assured that I can make it fit well.

i feel the same way, about not having so many projects competing for my time. and i always plan to do better, but rarely succeed. i'd love to stick to the one thing at a time-ness.... any tips for how to do so?